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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. suit — to fit
  3. mine — for digging
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. chair — a leader
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. present — the time now
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. suit — in cards
  14. suit — clothes
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. present — there
  22. present — a gift
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. sharp — clever

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com